Chapter 2

The Pokecenters electric doors closed behind me, I could feel the fresh breeze hit my face. The smirk still plastered on my face as I started walking down the street. My feet lightly tapped against the pavement as I walked towards the pokemart. My mind wandered off to what happened inside the Pokecenter. As I released my pokemon, I might have been the only person who was happy to see it there. I didn't take nurse Joys gasp as an insult, my pokemon certainly isn't a normal starter. The creepy giggle it made as it locked eyes with me clearly didn't lessen the sinister aura that he released. That creepy giggle was easily the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. It was the sound of the promise I whispered to the Pokeball being granted. Normally you aren't supposed to feel a bond towards newly captured pokemon, but I felt it with Ghastly. We held the same desires about the world we were in. We both knew this world was a dismal place, filled with darkness, but we thrived in the shadows.

My feet, followed closely by my body, arriving in front of the pokemon market. Its newly cleaned doors reflected my shabby clothes and long disheveled auburn hair. I pushed the doors open as I stepped into the store, hearing a dinging noise above me. "Welcome," I hear an unenthusiastic voice say as the man behind the counter takes in my appearance. I nod at the man, knowing I look about as rich as I am. I head down the closest aisle to me, making a mental list of the things I will need and what the prices are. I can feel the clerk's eyes on me, making sure nothing is passing its way into my almost empty pockets. I finish my rounds through the store, ending up at the counter, fishing the five free Pokeballs voucher out of my pocket. The clerk takes the voucher, scans into his system, and reaches behind to grip and then pass the balls to me in a black plastic bag. I mutter "thanks" as he lazily waves me off while I exit the store.

"That breakfast was excellent, thanks Mom," I hear the moment I exit the Pokemart. I turn my head to see who the loud voice belongs to, and low and behold it's the rich prick, still holding his Charmander. 'This fucking kid', I say to myself, looking at him flaunting his pokemon like a prized Ponyata. Only pokemon that have been specially bred and haven't left a safe zone can be out of their Pokeball, that or have the trainer own at least four badges. I follow them, as a plan slowly hatches in my brain. They slowly make their way back to their well to do and trusting neighborhood. I see them enter the yard, through the waist-high white gate, and into their home. I look around the neighborhood, making note of the green yards and lush trees covering the sidewalk, but what interests me the most, are all the open windows catching the sea breeze. I make my way out of the neighborhood, I need some more information to complete my plan.

"I need to know your next few departure times for Viridian city, that I can use with this voucher," I ask the harbormaster across the counter as I hand him my travel certificate. As he looks over the voucher and back down to his screen, "well, we have the earliest leaving in about forty-five minutes from now at five pm, then one leaves every fourth hour for the next two weeks. The closest we can drop you is Pallet Town." The harbormaster pauses, waiting for my response. "Can you book me a seat at one am?" I ask, handing over my pokemon license to him as he nods. "See you at one am" the harbormaster says while handing me my ticket. I wave farewell as I exit the harbor office and prepare to put my plan into action.

A few hours later, the sun has set and the street lamps lights are lit. I was sitting behind a tree blending into the shadows, watching the houses, and waiting for their lights to go out. Finally, one after another turns off their house lights, Rhys grabs his Pokeball and releases Ghastly. The air gets colder and the shadows darken while his whispered giggle floats down the street. "You remember the plan?" I ask Ghastly, as his mouth forms a mischievous smile as he floats up and down. He slowly starts floating towards the open window and enters the teenager's room. He floats over to the sleeping boy, cradling his Charmander, and sends his strongest hypnosis towards the duo. Ghastly nudges the Charmander with his tongue, checking to see if it will remain asleep. After a few mins of waiting, he finally starts his mission.

Ghastly looks around the room, looking for any of the items his trainer drew while discussing the plan in the Pokecenter. On the nightstand, Ghastly spots a red and white ball, quietly giggling he floats towards the nightstand and wraps his tongue around the Pokeball and tosses it out the window. Rhys standing below the window sees an object drop towards him, grinning as he sees the red and white ball spinning closer to him. The object lands into his stretched arms, he notices that the ball has nobs on it, revealing not a Pokeball but an alarm clock. Rolling his eyes as he wipes his prints off the clock and rolls it into the plants next to the house. Ghastly a floor above, still searching the room for any more items, as he spots a backpack. Ghastly wraps his tongue around the arm straps, dragging the heavy pack across the floor, sliding it up the wall and finally out the window. The backpack drops like a ton of Geodudes out the window, Rhys cradles the heavy backpack from the air into his chest, trying not to ruin anything. Unzips the backpack and peers inside, he sees tons of notebooks, paper, and pens. With another eye roll, he turns the backpack upside down dumping out the contents, as Ghastly floats down from the window ready to move to the next house.

Footsteps pound the pavement, the heavy backpack slaps his back after every step. Rhys looks at his watch as it reads twelve forty-five, he has fifteen minutes to get there. 'Robbing places is hard work' I applaud myself as sweat drips down my face. Rhys can see the harbor as he approaches. Slowing his gait from a run into a brisk walk, stepping onto the dock. Handing his ticket to the sailor standing next to the ship's ramp. "Next," I hear as he shuttles me up the ramp, I look behind me as I see the city covered in darkness, leaving behind my past as my foot grasps firmly onto the ship's deck and my future.